This week, on the singing competition show “The Voice,” coaches shared valuable advice with the contestants about the value of connecting with others and storytelling. And you can use these two specific pieces of advice in your business, too!
At this stage in The Voice competition, contestants are competing in the Battle Rounds. They are paired with one other contestant to showcase their talent. Coaches then had to make difficult decisions about who they felt deserved to continue in the competition.
Good but missing a key element
Contestant A was a young teenager with a lovely voice. Even though she performed very well, she sang with her eyes closed during most of the performance.
Contestant B was in another pairing. She had a velvety tone to her voice and technically sang perfectly. But the emotions of the lyrics were lacking in her performance.
What did the coaches say?
Singing with eyes closed during most of her performance blocked Contestant A’s ability to connect to the audience.
Many singers briefly close their eyes to deeply feel the music. However, in this case, not looking at the audience during her song broke the full impact of her performance. Her competitor won this round of the competition.
Contestant B heard recommendations to really feel the lyrics and express emotion throughout the song. Some of the best artists in the industry are great storytellers. Singing with emotion helps those listening feel every nuance of the lyrics.
A story’s pain, heartbreak, or joy is more deeply conveyed when you can hear and feel the emotion in the artist’s voice.
Contestant B’s competitor did a much better job of singing with emotion…and won that round.
How does this apply to your business?
So, how does this apply to your business?
I’m sure you don’t go through your day with your eyes closed.
And you don’t speak in monotone to your customers.
But you are competing with others in your field.
Did you know that Google gets 8.5 BILLION searches every day? So, how do you stand out and “win” more customers?
Like in the singing competition,connecting with others and storytelling are two essential skills. Be vulnerable. Share your reason for doing what you do.
When writing blogs, emails, or video scripts, you want the customer or potential customer to resonate with you. You want them to feel “They get me!”
Today, you must develop “know, like, and trust” factors with customers. You can do that by providing genuine value and by being authentic. That is rare today, and customers connect with the businesses that show they understand them.
Imagine looking eye-to-eye and listening to someone. You feel a connection to them, right?
Create that in your marketing materials. Listen to the needs of your audience and provide the solution to help them.
Draw your audience in
Next, imagine how you feel when a friend tells you about a hilarious encounter while on vacation. It pulls you in and makes you feel like you were there, right?
Everyone leans in when they hear a good story.
Instead of rattling off all the facts of what your product or service can do for customers…tell a story. Share what happened to an actual customer.
Tell about someone experiencing a specific problem and how your product or service solved it. We all have pain and struggles. It’s encouraging when we hear how someone found a solution.
Connecting to others and storytelling were two priceless words of wisdom for “The Voice” contestants. Businesses should never forget the importance of these two concepts as well.
And if you love hearing an artist excel at storytelling when singing, check out contestant Alexa Wildish on “The Voice” – a four-chair turn for any Voice fans.